A Young Promise
by Miragaze
Summary: [Takes place when Squall was in the orphanage] What if Squall and Rinoa first meeting not when they thought it was? And what if when they met again... a promise was kept.
1. The Chain

**[A/N pretty short fic... takes place when Squall was still in the orphanage. R&R please? Thanks! ^^ Not used to writing fics like this...]**

"Mommy, where we going?" The little girl asked.

"I'm just going to try and find my friend, sweetheart. We're going to take a short trip, okay?"  
"Okay, Mommy!" She jumped up and down and ran to her room, grabbed her ring just before she heard her mother call her.

"Come on, Rinny. Get in the car. We'll leave now."

"Who's your friend Mommy?" Who are yoo looking for?" The curious girl asked her mother as they walked to the car and drove.

"His name is Laguna." Her mom answered after a long pause.

"Why are yoo looking for him? Where did he go?" She asked more curious than ever.

"We were friends... before you were born, Rinny." She answered softly. "I heard somewhere, that he came here. 

"So, yoo want to find him and be friends again?" When the mother looked at her, she saw eyes full of curiousity in this five-year-old and couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, little Angel." She pinched her nose and Rinoa squealed.

"Come on get out, we're already here." She pulled her little girl out of the car.

"Wow! This is a pretty house, Mommy. Look!" 5-year-old Rinoa pointed to the garden.

Her mommy smiled. "Yes, it is beautiful."

"Bootiful." The little girl repeated seriously.

A lovely lady in black came out of the house and smiled at them warmly.  
"Come on, sweetheart. We're going in for a moment." Her mother pulled her along.

"Goody!" She ran inside, still tugging on her mother's hand.

"Hello there." The lady in black said kindly.

"Hi." Rinoa answered shyly.

"Hello." Her mother greeted the lady politely. "My name's Julia Heartilly. This is my daughter, Rinoa."

"Hi, Rinoa." The lady in black said to her, bending so she and Rinoa were the same height. Rinoa stared at the lady.

"Hi... what's your name?" Rinoa asked curiously.

"Edea. But everyone here calls me Matron." She smiled kindly. The smile kind of matched her warm tone of voice.

"Owkay. Can I call you Matron too?" Rinoa asked her.

She laughed gently. "Of course you can."

"Rin, honey, why don't you go out in the back, and play? You'll probably find some kids there. Edea and I have things to discuss."

"Okay, Mommy!" She ran outside.

"Wow, pretty Garden!" Rinoa said aloud.

She saw some kids playing by a big tree. She ran to them but was stopped when she tripped over a rock. She fell on the ground and shrieked loudly.

"Oof! Ow!" She yelled.

"Are yoo okay?" A boy in an orange shirt came out of the house. He had brown hair and a serious expression especially compared to Rinoa's innocent and happy one.

"I'm owkay!" She answered. The boy pulled her up. He had brown hair and a serious expression especially compared to Rinoa's innocent and happy one.

"Thanks! Who are yoo?" She asked as she straightened her light blue shirt and dark blue pants.  
"My name's Squall." He said quietly, after a moment of staring at her with caution.

"Hi, Squall! My name's Rinoa." She said happily.

"Why are you here?" He asked her.

"My Mommy is talking to Matron and I'm supposed to wait here." She said, pointing to the stone house.

"...Oh. Where's your daddy?"

"He's not here. He doesn't live with me. Mommy says that they are sepewated."

"Oh, he left. They always leave." Squall said softly. It seemed that he was talking more to himself than Rinoa but being the innocent little girl she was, she didn't notice.

"Who always leaves?" Rinoa asked curiously, examining his face, trying to figure out what he was thinking.

"People." He said, after finally figuring out what he meant.

Rinoa was still young and she thought that Squall was wrong. Very wrong. If people always left why was her mother still there?

"Not always! Mommy is still with me!" She said loudly, obviously disatisfied with his opinions.

"Sis' left me." He told her as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Who?" Rinoa said still as curious as ever.  
"Sis... I mean Ellone. She was my best friend. She left me. Like my parents did."

"Yoo don't have any parents?" She asked sadly already knowing the answer though she did not see why.

"They didn't want me. That's why I'm here." He frowned, when he started thinking. "I already said. I'm alone."

"Wow, that's sad." She said, pitying Squall. Pity though, was the one thing Squall did not want.

He didn't reply.

"Hey, where'd my ring go?" Rinoa suddenly asked to no one in particular.

"What ring?" Squall asked her.

"I was wearing it before I tripped. It's big, it always falls. It was Mommy's but she gave it to me." She started to crawl on the hard ground, looking for it.

He bent down and looked for it with her.

"Is this yoor ring?" Squall asked her.

"That's it!" She said. "Thank yoo." She tried to put it on her finger but it kept falling. "Darn, darn, darn!"  
"Why do yoo wear it if it's so big?" He asked, staring at the frustrated girl.  
"I like it. Mommy says she will put it on a chain and make it a necklace but... I dunno, she didn't get me one.."

He frowned and looked at the stone house. "Wait here." He told her and ran into the house.

She waited for a long time. While she waited, she stared at the kids playing. There was a blonde girl, a brunette, and two kids running around. She longed to go join them but Squall had said to wait there and she intended to follow him.

Finally, after a short time, Squall came back.

"What's that?" She asked him, he had something shiny in his hands.

"A chain. I think it used to be Ellone's or my Mommy's but I don't need it because I'm not a girl. Yoo can use it." He handed it to her.

"Wow! Thank yoo, Squall!" She said happily, taking the chain. She placed the ring on it and slipped it over her head.

"It looks so pretty." She said bouncing around, letting the necklace dangle.

He just stared at her. She looked at him then once more looked longingly at the group of kids playing near the tree again.

"Who are they?" Rinoa pointed to where they were playing.

"Who?" Squall looked where she was pointing. "Oh. That's Seifer, Zell, Selphie,and  Quistis. I _think _Irvine was there awhile ago. Not sure." He told her.

"Who's that boy...? Seifer?" She asked him, staring at Seifer with amazement and awe, who was running around and laughing as Zell chased him.

"Yeah." Squall's tone of voice became empty all of a sudden. Rinoa didn't notice though, as she was watching the other kids with interest.

"Why aren't yoo with them?" She asked Squall, realizing he was the only kid not joining in. He simply shrugged, with no care whatsoever that he was alone.

"Let's go over there." She told him. He simply frowned, then nodded.

"Why don't yoo like playing with them?" She asked innocently.

"No reason." He said simply as they approached the other kids.

Quistis was the first to notice them and she nudged Selphie with her elbow and pointed.   
"Hi, Squall! I'm glad yoo're here." Quistis said to him kindly then noticed Rinoa, "Who's that?" She asked cautiously.

Squall didn't say anything so Rinoa decided to just introduced herself.

"Hi, I'm Rinoa!" She said cheerfully.

"Hi, I'm Quisty." Quistis said to her seriously.

"I'm Selphie!" Selphie joined in, not wanting to miss out on anything that was happening. "That's Zell and Seifer!" She pointed to the two who were running around. "Irvy is inside. He's sick! He's my best friend." She said proudly.

"Wow." Rinoa said, amazed with everything that she was shown and told.

"Pretty necklace!" Selphie said noticing Rinoa's new necklace.

"Thanks!" Rinoa beamed. "Squall gave me the chain but the ring's my mommy's and mine too."

"Wow!" Selphie said. "Why aren't you talking again, Squall?" She turned to the quiet boy next to Rinoa.

He just looked away.

Selphie shrugged and smiled anyway. "You wanna meet Seifer and Zell, Rinoa?" She asked her new friend.

"Sure!" Rinoa said excitedly.

"Come on! I'll introdoos you." She said cheerfully. She pulled Rinoa to the two boys. "Hey, guys, this is Rinoa!" She yelled at them. Seifer wouldn't stop chasing Zell.

"Hi. I'm. Seifer." He said in between breaths. "Give up, Crybaby-Zell!" He yelled.

"...I'm Zell!" He yelled not even looking at Rinoa. "Seeeeeiiiifeeeeer!" He screamed.

"Wow." was all Rinoa could say. 

"Come on, let's go back to Quisty and Squall. Did yoo know Squall is the quietest here? He never plays with us anymore."  
"Why not?" Rinoa asked curiously.

"He misses Ellone." Selphie said simply. "Guys!" She yelled and ran to them.

Rinoa was awed at Selphie's energy and simply tried to catch up to her.

"Selphie! Wait up!" She ran after her and made it to Quistis and Squall.

"Made it." She said.

"Rinoa.... Rinoa? Where are you?" Rinoa's mother was already calling her.

"Mommy?" Rinoa yelled.

"Come on, Rinnny. Time to go." Her mom called her.

"Coming!" Rinoa yelled. Her mom entered the house again.

"I have to go." Rinoa said sadly.

"Really?" Selphie asked.

"Yeah." Rinoa frowned sadly. She waved good-bye to them. 

"Bye, Selphie! Bye, Quistis! Bye, Seifer and Zell!" She said.

"I'll bring you back." Squall said softly.

"Owkay." Rinoa said.

They walked to the house.

"Yoo're never coming back are you?" Squall asked her.

"I don't know." Rinoa said, uncertainly.

"I knew it. You're gonna leave me too." He said sadly, though he was trying to hide his sorrow.

"No! I'll see yoo someday. Then yoo wont be alone!" She said to him. "Bye, Squall!" She yelled as she left.

"Bye, Rinoa." He called quietly.

Rinoa's mom pulled her hand to the car and they quickly made their way home.

"Where were you, Rinny?"  
"I was playing with my new friends, Mommy." She said happily.

"That's nice."  
"Look, my friend gave me this chain for my necklace!" She showed it off proudly.

Her mother nodded and smiled.

"Did you find yoor friend Mr. Lagoona, Mommy?"  
Her smile suddenly turned to a sad one.

"No, Rinny, I didn't." She said softly.

"Oh..." Then she remembered something. "Mommy, do people always leave?"  
Her mother was surprised by this question.

"Why do you ask that, angel?"  
"My friend says that everyone leaves that's why he's alone." She repeated what he said sadly.

Her mother seemed troubled by this and wasn't sure how to answer.

"Well, sometimes, Rinny. But not always. You can always find your friend in the future."  
"I know I will, Mommy!" She said suddenly determined. "I will show him I wasn't going to leave! And he's not alone!"


	2. The Ring

**[A/N Just a little something to explain why Rinoa forgot about the whole incident. Grief and pain in losses can sometimes take over so much of a person's mind causing that person's view to change so much…**

**Reviews, please?]**

Little Rinoa looked over at her mom. They had been driving for a long time and still they hadn't reached their house.

"Mommy, why are we taking so long?" She asked.

"Because, angel," She began not taking her eyes off the road. "there are a lot of people out today and it's traffic."

Rinoa sighed a big sigh and stared out the window.

"What was that for, Rinny?" Her mom asked. "I'm the one driving!"

Rinoa couldn't even smile at first at her mom's comment. But she mustered a tiny smile which soon turned into a giggle.

"Becauuusssssse!" Rinoa said babyishly. "I want to play. Outside."

"Toooooo baaaaaaaaad!" Her mom mimicked her voice.

Rinoa started giggling away despite her complaints.

"Mommy, how much longer?" She asked, getting bored again.

"Maybe half an hour." Julia Heartilly took a strange turn and rode in a different route. "Let's take a shortcut."  
"Showtcut." Rinoa said.

She sighed again and stared once more out the window.

"I wish I was back at the pretty house with the pretty garden playing with my new friends." She informed her mom.

Rinoa had truly shown a love for the garden she had been in. She thought it to be the most beautiful thing she had ever laid eyes on. The connection she had with it was absolute and now she kept picturing it in her head, imagining how fun it would be to just stay there and play and touch all those flowers in the wind…

"I wish you would stop complaining." She tickled Rinoa playfully with one hand, because her other one was on the wheel.

"I wish..." Rinoa began again, but the car took a sudden jump and she squealed in the middle of her sentence.

The car spun around suddenly and another car was headed straight for them. Rinoa's eyes were wide with fear. Her new necklace was dangling and threatened to fall off so she grabbed it and held it tight.

"Mommy..." She whimpered.

"Hang on, Rinny!" Julia Heartilly spun the car wildly and they crashed into a tree avoiding the car that had nearly run them over.

"Mommy!" Rinoa yelled. Her mom had blood covering her leg and a wounds from the broken glass on her face and arm.

Rinoa as well had a cut on her arm which seemed so tiny compared to the wounds on her mother.

A fire began to spark in the front of the car and Rinoa could smell smoke already.

"Rinoa, get out!" Rinoa's mom pushed her out of the car last minute as the fire spread around the car. As Rinoa crawled away as fast as she could, the car exploded.

Rinoa turned around when she heard it happening and she saw the bright, hot flames. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Mommy!" She kept on repeating. She held on to her necklace tightly. Her tears fell faster. She ran towards the fire and the car where Julia Heartilly, her mom, was but she tripped on the way and a person came up behind her and pulled her away.

"...I want my mommy." She whimpered. She hadn't let go off the necklace for a second and was still holding onto it then.

She ran away, far away. She heard someone call her but she didn't look back. She didn't turn back. She just kept running. People began to stare with concerned faces at the little girl, with a wound on her arm, some burns and tears running freely from her eyes.

Rinoa just kept running. She finally stopped when she saw the stone house she had just been in. She had run very far but she wasn't tired. Just sad.

She ran towards the house and she knocked on the door. Matron opened it and was very surprised to see Rinoa there, tears on her little red cheeks and a bad wound on her arm.

"...Mommy's gone." She whimpered softly.

"Rinoa, sweetheart, what's happened...?" Matron picked her up and smoothed her hair down, trying to comfort the little girl.

"...Mommy's gone..." Rinoa repeated, burying her head in Matron's shoulder.

She heard someone run up the stairs behind her.

"Excuse me, ma'am..." He said to Matron, whoever he was. Rinoa didn't really care. She just held on to her necklace.

"What happened?" Edea began to speak to him about Rinoa. When she finally did find out what happened, she carried Rinoa back.

She and Rinoa both didn't see the curious and forlorn boy with brown hair, blue eyes and an orange shirt, watching them the entire time.

"Rinoa, you have to go back now, to your father. Okay?" Matron said to her gently.

"I don't want to..." Rinoa cried. "I want to go to Mommy..."

"Rinoa... I'm sorry but... you have to go with your father." Matron tried to tell her, as Rinoa clutched her necklace so hard that her hand turned white.

In the end, Rinoa's father came and took her away. Rinoa waved sadly to Matron who gave her a gentle hug.

Rinoa held onto her necklace throughout the day and throughout the night. It gave her what comfort she felt able to take.

Though, when she held onto that necklace she remembered the comfort, the tragedy and her mother. She noticed only the ring and so the memories with the chain lay forgotten.


End file.
